Low-Bandwidth RF Listening With ACI-Adaptive ADC Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
RF receivers in wireless communication devices consume significant power during the 'listen mode' due to high sampling rates of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) even when no incoming communications are received, which is inefficient for battery-operated devices.
Innovation Solution
Dynamically adjust the sampling rate of ADCs based on the presence or absence of adjacent channel interference (ACI) and enable/disable digital ACI filters to optimize power consumption, using a low-bandwidth listen mode when ACI is absent and higher sampling rates when ACI is present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ADC operates at a high sampling rate during listen mode, then signal integrity is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic sampling rate adjustment where the ADC operates at a first sampling rate when ACI is detected and a second, lower sampling rate when ACI is absent. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by adjusting the sampling rate based on actual channel conditions rather than maintaining a fixed high rate, thereby preserving signal integrity when needed while reducing power consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter (sampling rate) of the ADC based on the presence or absence of adjacent channel interference. By monitoring for ACI and adjusting the sampling rate parameter accordingly, the system maintains signal integrity when interference is present while reducing power consumption when the channel is clear, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy usage.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the ADC sampling rate is reduced to save power, then power consumption decreases, but ability to detect ACI deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of adjacent channel interference before deciding on the sampling rate. By first monitoring the channel for ACI presence and then adjusting the sampling rate accordingly, the system ensures that power reduction does not compromise ACI detection capability. The preliminary detection action allows the system to enter low-power mode only when safe to do so.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the detection of ACI influences the sampling rate selection, which in turn affects subsequent signal processing. This closed-loop approach ensures that the sampling rate is continuously optimized based on actual channel conditions, maintaining ACI detection capability when needed while enabling power savings when the channel is clear.
3Reliability
If digital ACI filters are enabled continuously, then ACI suppression is improved, but power consumption and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic enabling and disabling of digital ACI filters based on ACI detection results. When ACI is detected, the filters are enabled to provide suppression; when ACI is absent, the filters are disabled to reduce power consumption and processing complexity. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by making filter operation conditional rather than continuous.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies ACI suppression selectively rather than continuously. By using digital filters only when ACI is detected and leaving them disabled during normal operation, the system achieves adequate ACI suppression when needed while avoiding the excessive power consumption and processing complexity that would result from continuous filter operation.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for wireless communications. The present implementations more specifically relate to reducing the power consumption of radio frequency (RF) receivers when listening to a wireless channel. In some aspects, a wireless communication device may receive an RF signal over a wireless channel, down-covert the RF signal to baseband, and convert the baseband signal to the digital domain via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to sample the baseband signal at one of multiple sampling rates based, at least in part, on whether adjacent channel interference (ACI) is determined to be present in the received signal. For example, the wireless communication device may configure the ADC to sample at a lower rate when ACI is determined to be absent and sample at a higher rate when ACI is determined to be present, or when a packet is detected in the received signal.